Twisted Pursuits (16 page)
Authors: Krystal Morrison
Her presence must be causing a damper on his plans. She had been so engrossed in her own chaotic existence that she had never considered how her being there had been affecting him. She had been dragging her foot about leaving for some time now but the time was finally upon her. Jordan needed space so he could move on with his life and sadly she hers. She had hurt him enough as it was.
It was absurd to think that Jordan would know about her pregnancy, she told herself, but she would stay a few more days to ensure that all was well then she would leave quietly. She did not think that she would have the nerve to say goodbye to Jordan face to face so she might just leave him a note. Tears blurred her vision as she wished for the millionth time that she had stood her ground and not given in to Nana’s prodding. Why couldn’t she have trusted Jordan as he had asked? She cried even harder as she recalled the look on his face as he had proposed.
The next few days were the worst Lauren had experienced in a
long while. She was so sick that she could hardly eat, she could not sleep and Jordan appearing at odd hours of the day was doing nothing to ease her stress. Even her babies, it seemed, were perturbed as they had become quite active.
Almost a week after her altercation with Jordan at the breakfast table she saw an opportunity to leave and she grasped it with both hands. She had not seen Jordan in two days and she supposed it was as good a time as any. Her suitcase was already packed and she had written a note and given it to Mrs. Stewart to give to Jordan when he returned later on. She called a taxi and trudged down the stairs to await its arrival, refusing to face the emptiness inside her heart. She felt so sad she wanted to curl up in a ball and cry until she had no tears left. Soon she consoled herself; she could allow the darkness to close in on her when she got to her own house.
She glanced around the sitting room one last time, she would miss the place. She had already said her goodbyes to Mrs. Stewart so she made her way to the front door, opened it and stepped out into the brilliant sunshine. She made her way to the waiting car in a trance like state, mourning the man she loved dearly but would have to leave behind.
She was so distraught that she never heard another car as it drew to a halt a few paces behind her until she felt a steely grip on her left arm.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going”, she felt as if ice water was trickling through her veins as she realized that it was Jordan.
She glanced at his face, livid with rage and knew her day of reckoning had come. Her
knees buckled but his grip on her arm kept her upright as he practically dragged her towards the house. God, why had she bothered with this foolhardy plan in the first place and now Jordan was going to kill her. She wished she was a snail so she could crawl under her shell and hide from his wrath.
Upon reaching the house he propelled her towards his office, firmly shut the door and shoved her unto a lounge chair and towered over her.
“Talk, now”, he commanded, his tone brooked no argument as he moved away from her to prop himself against his desk.
Anger began to replace the nostalgia inside her. He had no right to treat her like this or speak to her in such a manner.
“I’m telling you nothing”, she retorted, standing, “in fact I’m leaving”.
“Sit. Down!” he
roared, his eyes resembled embers of fire and his dark expression grew cruel. She flopped to her seat, fear knotting her insides.
A muscle twitched in his left cheek as he edged towards her, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides. She sensed a violence exploding in him and she had the distinct thought that he was going to hit her. Her blood ran cold as she imagined his fist striking her over and over. She scanned the room for an escape or something to defend herself with but the door was too far away and there wasn’t even a figurine in sight.
She cowered away from him, her hands enveloping her stomach in an attempt to protect her babies.
“Don’t hit me please”, she begged. He paused for a second, an odd expression crossing his features before he continued.
She closed her eyes; tensing for his onslaught when it was evident he would not be dissuaded. Jordan brushed aside her hands, grabbed her baggy sweater and ripped it down the middle. Still not satisfied he went on to rid her of the offensive garment entirely. She sagged in relief when it became evident that he meant no harm. When the evidence he had sought became apparent in the slight bulge of her abdomen he stood and lugged behind his desk and sank into his chair, numb to the very core of his being.
He had started second guessing his discovery over the past few days as nothing in her actions had suggested that she was pregnant and she never spoke about it, not even to Anna. He had come this close to confronting her when her phone calls had yielded no results and then she had called a taxi and Daniel had seen her on the surveillance cameras saying goodbye to Mrs. Stewart. He had not given any thought to what would happen now that he knew for sure.
“Is the child mine?” he asked in a monotonous voice.
“Of course”, Lauren answered in a trembling voice, taken aback by the question, “I have not been with anyone else”.
The anger he had felt ever since he found out that she was pregnant returned with a vengeance.
“And you hid it from me, why?” he exploded, “Were you planning on throwing it away?”
She recoiled as if slapped, cradling her stomach with her hands as if to protect the baby from his harsh words, “How could you even think such a thing after what happened last time”, she said, her voice cracking with emotion.
He had the nerve to look abashed, but only for a moment.
“Then what is the meaning of all this?” he asked, his cold voice rising an octave.
“What is the meaning of what”, she responded with a calmness she was far from feeling, “I merely wish to raise my children on my own”.
“Did I just hear you say children?” Jordan asked in shock.
“Umm… I’m having twin babies…” Lauren murmured folding her lips together, not trusting herself to speak as every time she opened her mouth she seemed to make him angrier. Apparently she had a death wish.
“You were going to take my kids to God knows where and allow them to starve, that is if they survived long enough to be born.”
“How dare
…”-
“Silence”, Jordan barked, slamming his palms unto his desk with a deafening thud
and she jumped.
He rose from his chair and came around to the front of his desk, “You know, I’ve always thought you were sensible but know I realize that you are an utter fool”.
She reddened at the insult, “women raise kids on their own all the time”, she mumbled almost inaudibly.
Jordan laughed harshly, “
do you have any idea how those women struggle even when they have a job. What if, God forbid, they are born with some incurable illness…the possibility of things going wrong are endless”, he noticed that the more he said the paler she had gotten.
He had to do something to prevent her from running away from him, “we’ll have no choice but to marry”, at least that way she would be under public scrutiny at all times so she wouldn’t be able to do anything without him knowing.
Lauren shot up from her chair so fast that her head spun, “over my dead body”, she spat.
“We can divorce after a few years but at the moment I have to protect my children from your rash ways”, Jordan continued ignoring her comment altogether, “and of course I cannot have my commitment to family questioned. Not to worry you’ll get a handsome settlement upon our divorce”.
“I am not marrying you”, she repeated forcefully.
“So help me God you will”, he said coldly, “and if you so much as attempt to escape me you’ll never see my children beyond the time it takes you to bring them into this world”, he threatened.
Lauren fell back into the chaise dejectedly. He meant every word; she could see it in the hard jut of his chin. He would take her babies from her without a second thought. Her stomached roiled at the thought.
“Do I make myself clear?”
She nodded reluctantly, accepting defeat none too gracefully.
“I should have allowed you to leave”, Jordan said gruffly, his eyes goring her “perhaps the harsh reality would have taught you a little selflessness but someone must think of the children because apparently you won’t”.
He spoke the last words with scorn as he glanced away from her his face creasing with disgust as if he could not bear the sight of her.
“You may leave”, he said dismissively as he spun his chair so that his back was to her.
She rose and left the room, feeling as if the weight of the world was on her shoulders. Slowly she made her way to her bedroom and crawled into bed.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
JORDAN HUNG HIS HEAD IN DISTRESS.
He had thought a confrontation with her would bring him a modicum of peace, yet he was more haunted than ever. She had looked so ill when she was leaving the room earlier that he had instantly regretted his cruel treatment of her. He had to remember that she was pregnant with his child, no children he reminded himself and stress was not good for either the babies or her.
He had called Doctor Hedley and after telling him exactly what he thought of him for endangering his children’s lives all because of an alleged doctor-patient confidentiality he had demanded to know every last detail of her condition. He had been contemplating a DNA test but after his conversation with Doctor Hedley and based on his calculations he was certain that she had been pregnant when she had left his estate.
Then it was onto the unpleasant affair of their wedding. He had decided that there was no reason to prolong the inevitable, the sooner she had his name, the better. He made a mental note to provide a press release of his marriage to as many media houses as possible, that way she could not so easily disappear into thin air.
He shook aside his morbid thoughts and climbed the stairs to her bedroom. She
bade him enter after the third knock. The sight of her curled up in the middle of the bed, her features pale and drawn tugged at his heartstrings. He hardened his heart, he had to remember that this woman had almost ruined him, it was ironic but sometimes he thought she had succeeded.
“What do you want?” she asked dismally
“I’ve made arrangements for us to be married tomorrow afternoon”, Jordan said brusquely chiding himself for his foolishness, "I also made an appointment for you to select a dress at two o’clock. Daniel will take you, that this if you’re feeling up to it”.
She laughed without humor, “so you really mean to carry out this silly plan of yours”, she murmured.
“I do not bluff”, he replied in a clipped tone, “I leave that to people who have nothing better to do”.
“You are so heartless”, she said as tears filled her eyes.
Rage exploded inside him. What right did she have to cry? As if he was the one who had hurt her.
“Do you want to know what is heartless”, he said disdainfully, “heartless is when your fiancé ditches you a week before your wedding, force you to endure whispers behind your back and curious stares, heartless is when the woman you care about pretends to feel the same then throws your sentiments in your face and heartless is when someone denies you the right to know your own damned children”.
More tears trickled down her ashen cheeks, “Jordan I never meant…” she began.
“Save it”, he barked turning his back to her, “I’m really not interested in anything you have to say”, he added as he marched from the room.
Lauren had known that she had hurt him but she could never have guessed how much until a moment ago. He was right she was a selfish person. In her moment of madness she had not considered that her actions would have such far reaching implications. She had only wanted to save him from marrying a woman who could not bear him children.
She had not thought of the fact that he would have to face the embarrassment of telling his colleagues and friends and family the news that his wedding was cancelled a mere week before the scheduled date. The worst part was that he would have had to do all this while he himself was hurting and now she had hid his own children’s existence from him.
She remembered an old folktale that said ‘you never hurt the ones you love’. Yet she had managed to hurt Jordan at every turn when she loved him so much it hurts. After all the pain and humiliation she had caused him, couldn’t she grant him this one little favor and marry him she asked herself. If only there was a chance that he could forgive her or at least grow to care for her a little bit, she would marry him in a jiffy. A forlorn sob escaped her at the thought.
She stroked the place where her babies were growing, she would probably have little or no say in how her children were raised but she had to bear in mind that Jordan could give them a life that she could never dream of ever providing. She sighed. Either way she would have to marry him as it seemed that she had no choice.
She frowned as a thought occurred to her. What if he was just as desperate as she to share in their children’s lives? Would she have been equally angry if he had been the one trying to runaway with their kids? Guilt prickled at her conscience. She decided not to dwell on it too much as she went to shower and get dressed, Daniel would be waiting. She would take things one day at a time she told herself, first she had to get through tomorrow.
THEY WERE MARRIED AT TWILIGHT
the following afternoon at one of Jordan’s hotels. The day had been so nerve racking that she had forgotten for awhile that their marriage was not a real one. After a chilling drive to the hotel with Jordan during which they had barely said two words to each other Lauren had expected to be ushered into a room where they would sign the marriage documents and that would be it. Thus she had received the shock of her life when Jordan had left her in his hotel suite and returned with a stylist to do her hair and makeup, after which he had disappeared again.
Two hours later she could not believe it was her reflection staring back at her as she glanced in the full length mirror. Her lovely white spaghetti strap chiffon gown hid any signs of her pregnancy. Her hair was knotted in an elegant French twist with a few fresh lilies and her makeup was flawless. They all came together to give her an angelic appearance.
She had barely expressed her thanks before she was led from the room to a small cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea, a bouquet of white lilies thrust into her hands along the way. She had been taken aback to see that there was a short isles decorated with the customary wedding apparel and Jordan standing at the altar along with the minister.
He looked so handsome that she had wanted to cry because she knew he would never truly be hers in the way a husband should belong to a wife and vice-versa. The vows were quickly exchanged with Lauren faltering over some of the words, nervous about making such a mockery of such a holy ritual.
Her heart leapt as upon the minister’s instruction Jordan leaned forward to touch his lips to hers. He had tasted so good that she had wanted to devour him but the kiss ended almost as soon as it began as Jordan pulled away from her, his expression as cold as marble.
They paused for a few pictures before they proceeded to his suite for a private dinner on the terrace. Her stomach was so knotted that she barely ate any of the delicious meal but Jordan it seemed had no such qualms as he ate every morsel.
“You’ve barely eaten anything”, he noted halfway through dessert, “and you look a little pale, are you feeling ok?”
Her heart warmed at his concern. It’s only for the babies, she told herself sternly, stomping down the feelings.
“I’m fine”, she said, forcing a smile.
“You should eat”, he said almost gently as he took a forkful of chocolate cake and brought it to her lips.
She opened her mouth to protest and he took the opportunity to pop the fork inside. She was too busy chewing and swallowing for her to say much after that until her plate was empty. Still not satisfied, he summoned the butler who was standing a polite distance away, “can I get a glass of milk for my wife please”, he said and Lauren blushed.
“Certainly Sir”, the man said before he disappeared from sight.
“We’ll be staying the night here”, Jordan murmured flatly, “and I‘ll take you to the estate which we will be using as our main residence. Do you have any objections?”
“I didn’t bring a change of clothes”, she said breathlessly, “and there is only one bed…”
“I asked Mrs. Stewart to pack an overnight bag for you”, he replied, “and I’ll sleep on the couch”.
She tried to hide her disappointment at the latter. She had wondered, even hoped that there would be at least physical intimacy during their marriage but apparently that was not to be. Perhaps he found her unattractive because she was pregnant. The butler return and she accepted and drank her glass of milk in silence. Once finished the butler cleared the table and departed followed shortly by Jordan.
She rummaged through her bag for a nightgown, which happened to be one of her sexiest, showered and crawled into bed feeling sad and painfully alone. She could hear Jordan milling about in the next room and she willed him to come to her. Eventually the movements died down and she gave up all hope of spending their wedding night in his arms. She would have gone to him but she knew that even if he still desired her his anger would not allow him to take her to bed.